Seton Hall party shooting: Convicted murderer faces up to life in prison

Nicholas Welch, left, shown with his attorney, Thomas Cataldo, is facing life in prison for firing into an off-campus Seton Hall fraternity party in 2010, killing one and injuring four others.Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-Ledger

NEWARK — An East Orange man faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced today for firing on Seton Hall University students at a 2010 party, killing one and injuring four others.

Nicholas Welch, 29, is scheduled to be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. in Newark before Superior Court Judge Robert Gardner in connection with the Sept. 25, 2010, killing of Jessica Moore, a sophomore honors student from Virginia.

Welch was convicted on March 31 of murder and attempted murder. Four other partygoers — Yvan Christophe, Nakeisha Vanterpool, Nicosia Henry and Daryl Elmore – were injured in the attack.

The shooting occurred at a South Clinton Street home in East Orange where several members of the Seton Hall chapter of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity were holding a party, prosecutors said.

Welch, who lived down the street, demanded to be let inside, but he was turned away, prosecutors said. A scuffle ensued and one of the party’s hosts punched Welch in the nose, prosecutors said.

Welch then walked across the street and demanded that his friend, Marcus Bascus, hand over a .38-caliber revolver, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Romesh Sukhdeo said during the trial.

Moments later, Welch returned to the party and opened fire on the students, prosecutors said.

“It’s a miracle that only one person is dead,” Sukhdeo told jurors during his closing statement. “He had murder in his heart.”

Isaac Muldrow, a convicted felon, testified that Welch called him to his home after the shooting and gave him the murder weapon, telling Muldrow to “get rid of it.” Several weeks later, authorities located the gun when Muldrow was arrested by Newark police.